The Overlooked Perspective of Police Trust in the Public: Measurement and Effects on Police Job Behaviors

Abstract

Trust between police and citizens is a central concern in modern policing, yet research has focused primarily on the public's trust of police. We address this gap by developing and validating a measure of police trust in the public. Using data from a survey of police officers, we demonstrate that police trust in the public is a multidimensional construct comprising ability, benevolence, and integrity components.